Flow Transients in Supercritical CO2 Natural Circulation Loop

AbstractA one-dimensional transient code is developed for studying the flow transient in the supercritical CO2 natural circulation loop. The transient code is validated with the experimental result. Various flow transients such as flow initiation, power step up and power step back have been studied. The effect of operational parameters and geometrical parameters on flow initiation transient also has been studied. In all cases steady state has been reached and instability is not observed in vertical heater vertical cooler configuration of supercritical CO2 natural circulation loop

A 3D Automated Classification Scheme for the TAUVEX data pipeline

In order to develop a pipeline for automated classification of stars to be observed by the TAUVEX ultraviolet space Telescope, we employ an artificial neural network (ANN) technique for classifying stars by using synthetic spectra in the UV region from 1250\AA to 3220\AA as the training set and International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) low resolution spectra as the test set. Both the data sets have been pre-processed to mimic the observations of the TAUVEX ultraviolet imager. We have successfully classified 229 stars from the IUE low resolution catalog to within 3-4 spectral sub-class using two different simulated training spectra, the TAUVEX spectra of 286 spectral types and UVBLUE spectra of 277 spectral types. Further, we have also been able to obtain the colour excess (i.e. E(B-V) in magnitude units) or the interstellar reddening for those IUE spectra which have known reddening to an accuracy of better than 0.1 magnitudes. It has been shown that even with the limitation of data from just photometric bands, ANNs have not only classified the stars, but also provided satisfactory estimates for interstellar extinction. The ANN based classification scheme has been successfully tested on the simulated TAUVEX data pipeline. It is expected that the same technique can be employed for data validation in the ultraviolet from the virtual observatories. Finally, the interstellar extinction estimated by applying the ANNs on the TAUVEX data base would provide an extensive extinction map for our galaxy and which could in turn be modeled for the dust distribution in the galaxy.Comment: 8 pages, 12 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS; High resolution figures available from the authors on reques

Unraveling Prostaglandin and NLRP3 Inflammasomemediated Pathways of Primary Dysmenorrhea and the Role of Mefenamic Acid and Its Combinations

Painful menstrual cramps during or around the time of the monthly cycle are known as dysmenorrhea. The estimated global prevalence in women of reproductive age ranges from 45% to 95%. It has a significant negative impact on regular activities and productivity at work. However, despite the severe consequences on quality of life, primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is underdiagnosed. Dysmenorrhea has complex pathogenesis. It involves the release of prostaglandins and activation of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and also includes the involvement of other mediators such as bradykinin, histamine and acetylcholine. Even though nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain the most common type of pain medication, the question of which one should be the most preferred is still open to debate. The current review examines the existing evidence for the pathogenesis of PD and makes evidence based and clinical experience based recommendations for the use of mefenamic acid and its combination in the treatment of dysmenorrhea. Mefenamic acid alleviates PD by inhibiting endometrial prostaglandin formation, restoring normal uterine activity, and reducing the inflammatory response by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome and reducing the release of cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β. It is also known to have bradykinin antagonist activity. Dicyclomine has a dual action of blocking the muscarinic action of acetylcholine in postganglionic parasympathetic effect or regions and acting directly on uterine smooth muscle by blocking bradykinin and histamine receptors to relieve spasms. According to the experts, mefenamic acid and dicyclomine act synergistically by acting on the different pathways of dysmenorrhea by blocking multifactorial agents attributed to the cause of dysmenorrhea. Hence, the combination of mefenamic acid and dicyclomine should be the preferred treatment option for dysmenorrhea

Comparative Study of Prevalence of Early Initiation of Breast Feeding, Its Enablers and Impeders

Background: In India the proportion of early initiation of breastfeeding is hovering around 50% and the proportion of cesarean deliveries is increasing substantially. Objectives: To compare the prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF) among cesarean and vaginally delivered women in hospitals in Pune District, Maharashtra State, India and to measure any association between EIBF and various socio-demographic, maternal and fetal factors. Methods: This was a multi-site study conducted in 13 selected hospitals in Pune District in 2017-18. Pune District by population is the fourth largest in India. All women delivered by cesarean section in these hospitals and an equal number of age and parity matched vaginally delivered women were enrolled. They were interviewed before discharge by obstetricians or nurses under the supervision of obstetricians, using a structured, validated tool. The data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 25. Results: In each group, 1,556 women were enrolled. The prevalence of EIBF was 81.5% and 63.6% among vaginally and cesarean delivered women. There was a significant association between EIBF and the place of residence, mode of delivery, gestational period, parity, and presence of some disease. Residence in the rural area was the strongest enabling factor with an adjusted odds ratio of 29.6 (95% C.I.; 18.7-46.9) whereas cesarean section, preterm delivery and first para were impeding factors. Conclusions: Among institutional delivered women EIBF was about 70%. Health care workers need to strongly promote EIBF awareness, especially among women from urban areas, and undergoing cesarean section.&nbsp

Correlation between tear levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and vitamin D at retinopathy of prematurity stages in preterm infants

Abstract Deregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels leads to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Vitamin D (VIT-D) is known to regulate VEGF in an oxygen dependent manner. The purpose of this study was to correlate tear levels of VEGF and VIT-D with different ROP stages in preterm infants. In this prospective cross-sectional study, we enrolled 104 pre-term infants. They were grouped into: Group-1 (Classical ROP) and Group-2 (Aggressive ROP), which were further subdivided into Group-1A (progressing), Group-1B (regressing), Group-2A (pre-treatment), and Group-2B (post-treatment). Tear VEGF and VIT-D levels and their association with different ROP stages were assessed. Stage 1 and stage 2 had higher whereas stage 3 had lower VEGF levels in Group-1B compared to Group-1A. Stage 1 and stage 3 showed higher levels of VIT-D with no difference in stage 2 in Group-1B compared to Group-1A., Group-2B showed higher VEGF and lower VIT-D levels compared to Group-2A. Presence of a positive correlation at an early stage (stage 1) of ROP and a negative correlation at a more advanced stage (stage 3) of ROP with VIT-D and VEGF implies stage-specific distinct signaling crosstalk. These findings suggest that VIT-D supplementation may have the potential to modify the course and outcome of ROP